UAE Environmental / ESG LawCabinet Resolution No. (52) of 2020 Regarding Emirates Sustainable Agriculture Label System

Article (1) Definitions For the purposes of implementing the provisions of this Resolution, the following terms and expressions shall have the meanings assigned to each of them, unless the context requires otherwise: State : The United Arab Emirates. Authority : The Emirates Authority for Standardization and Metrology. Board : The Board of Directors of the Authority. Director General : The Director General of the Authority. Competent Authority : The federal or local authority concerned with the implementation of the provisions of this Resolution. UAE Conformity Assessment System (ECAS) : The system issued by the Board, which is concerned with verifying the fulfillment of a product's requirem…

Article (2) Scope of Application The provisions of this Resolution shall apply to: 1. Farms located within specific geographical boundaries, or groups of Farms under unified administrative supervision, inside and outside the State, that are designated as Sustainable Farms or bear similar designations. 2. Products of the Farms or groups of Farms referred to in Clause (1) of this Article, from plant crops, livestock, and aquatic life. 3. Economic activities relating to the production of a Farm or part thereof, or for the production of a group of Farms under unified administrative supervision, which constitute the entire Supply Chain or part thereof, and have significant impacts on the sustaina…

Article (3) Conditions for Obtaining the Emirates Sustainable Agriculture Label 1. The Establishment must comply with the Sustainable Agricultural System Plan in accordance with the following standards: First Standard: Effective Planning and Management System, which requires the following: a. Description of the practices and procedures to be implemented and maintained, including the frequency of their implementation. b. A list of all materials used as an input for production or handling, indicating its composition, source, and location(s) where they will be used, together with documents evidencing commercial availability, as appropriate. c. Description of the monitoring practices and procedu…

Article (4) Procedures for Obtaining the Label 1. The Operator and Supplier, in order to obtain the Conformity Certificate and the Label from the Authority, must comply with the following: a. Registration of the systems and products in the UAE Conformity Assessment System (ECAS). b. Submitting an application to the Authority accompanied by all the documents required for this purpose. c. Complying with the mandatory Sustainability Standards set out in Annex No. (1) attached to this Resolution, and any other requirements adopted by the Authority in this regard. d. Submitting all products and supporting services to the Conformity Model (H) for product verification, as stipulated in the UAE Conf…

Article (5) The Emirates for Sustainable Agriculture Label 1. The design of the Label shown in Annex No. (2) is hereby approved, and the Authority shall determine the conditions and controls for its use, and shall be deemed the exclusive owner of its intellectual property rights. 2. No person may affix the label to any product, or publish any advertisement for a product containing the phrases "Sustainable Product," "Sustainable Cultivation," "Sustainable Agriculture," "Sustainable Production," or any other similar expressions indicating Sustainable Agriculture, including abbreviations, symbols, images, and marks denoting any of the foregoing, unless the product has obtained the Conformity Ce…

Article (6) Issuance of Conformity Certificates and the Label The Authority may delegate the issuance of Conformity Certificates and the Label to Approved Conformity Assessment Bodies in accordance with the controls and provisions set out in Cabinet Resolution No. (35) of 2015 referred to herein.

Article (7) Inspection and Surveillance of Establishments and Markets 1. The Authority and the Competent Authorities may conduct periodic visits to the Operator or Supplier, and carry out necessary verification. They may also collect samples for assessments or testing to ensure their compliance with the requirements stipulated in this Resolution.

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Cabinet Resolution of 2020 Regarding Emirates Sustainable Agriculture Label System 10 2. In the event of non-conformity with the requirements of this Resolution, the violations and penalties stipulated in Article (8) of this Resolution shall be imposed on the violating party after conducting the necessary investigations. 3. All point…

Article (8) Violations and Penalties In the event that any violation of the provisions of this Resolution is found, the Authority or the Competent Authority, as the case may be, shall take the necessary measures to rectify the violation and address the resulting effects, and may, for this purpose, take the following actions: 1. Requiring the violating party responsible for operating the Establishment or placing the violating product on the market to take the necessary corrective measures to rectify the violation and the resulting effects, or to withdraw the product from the market for the purpose of regularizing its status, or to return it to the country of origin if imported. The destructio…

Article (9) Grievance Procedures 1. The Operator and the Supplier may file a grievance against the decisions issued in accordance with the provisions of this Resolution, provided that they comply with the following:

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Cabinet Resolution of 2020 Regarding Emirates Sustainable Agriculture Label System 11 a. The grievance shall be submitted to the Director General in accordance with the Authority's procedures within a period not exceeding (14) fourteen working days from the date of notifying the Operator or the Supplier of the decision. b. All the necessary documents supporting the grounds for the grievance shall be attached. 2. The Director General shall decide on the grievance…

Article (10) Transitional Provisions The circulation of products available in the markets at the time of entry into force of this Resolution, which bear or indicate that they are sustainable products and do not comply with the provisions of this Resolution, shall be permitted for a period not exceeding one year from the date of entry into force of this Resolution.

Article (11) Final Provisions 1. The Authority or the body delegated thereby shall receive the registration and conformity applications of the establishments and products subject to the provisions of this Resolution and shall issue approvals in respect thereof. 2. A resolution may be issued by the Board after coordination with the Emirates Food Security Council to apply the provisions of this system in a mandatory manner for certain types of activities. 3. The annexes attached to this Resolution are an integral part of its provisions, and the Board may amend them whenever the need arises. 4. The provisions of this Resolution shall not prevent the inspectors of the Competent Authorities from…

Article (12) Repeals Any provision that contradicts or conflicts with the provisions of this Resolution shall be repealed.

Article (13) Publication and Entry into Force This Resolution shall be published in the Official Gazette and shall enter into force on the day following the date of its publication. Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Prime Minister Issued by us: On: 30 Dhu al-Qi 'dah 1441 A.H. Corresponding to: 21 July 2020 A.D.

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Cabinet Resolution of 2020 Regarding Emirates Sustainable Agriculture Label System 13 Annex No. (1) Attached to Cabinet Resolution No. (52) of 2020 Regarding Emirates Sustainable Agriculture Label System Standard Principles Indicators Mandatory Requirements 1. Planning and Management System 1-1 Operational Management Maintaining or enhancing the social, economic, and env…